### Lesson Plan: Understanding Past and Present
#### Grade Level: 1st Grade
#### Subject: Social Studies
#### Duration: 1 Hour
#### Topic: Understanding Past and Present
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### Learning Objectives:
1. **Identify differences between past and present.**
2. **Understand that people, places, and objects change over time.**
3. **Develop vocabulary related to time concepts (e.g., past, present, long ago, now).**
### Standards:
- **CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.3:** Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
- **NCSS Standard I:** Culture and Cultural Diversity
### Materials Needed:
- Storybook: "Then and Now" by Heather Amery
- Pictures of items/places from the past and present (e.g., telephones, cars, schools)
- Chart paper and markers
- Drawing paper and crayons
- A timeline template
### Introduction (10 minutes):
1. **Greeting & Warm-Up Activity:**
- Greet students and gather them in a circle.
- Begin with a simple question: "Can anyone tell me what they did this morning?"
- Discuss the concept of “today” being the “present” and how “yesterday” was the “past.”
2. **Objective Sharing:**
- Explain the objectives of the lesson. “Today, we are going to learn about the past and present and see how things have changed over time.”
### Direct Instruction (15 minutes):
1. **Story Reading:**
- Read “Then and Now” by Heather Amery aloud. Pause to show illustrations and discuss.
2. **Discussion:**
- After reading, ask questions about the story to reinforce understanding. Example: “What differences did you notice between the way people lived in the past and now?”
### Guided Practice (10 minutes):
1. **Picture Sort Activity:**
- Provide students with pictures of various items from the past and present (e.g., old telephones vs. smartphones).
- Create two columns on a piece of chart paper: “Past” and “Present.”
- As a class, sort the images into the correct category.
2. **Comparison Conversation:**
- Encourage students to discuss why certain items belong in the past and others in the present.
### Independent Practice (15 minutes):
1. **Drawing Activity:**
- Give each student a piece of drawing paper and crayons.
- Ask them to draw one thing from the past on one side and its modern version on the other.
- Examples: A horse and buggy vs. a car; an old-fashioned telephone vs. a smartphone.
### Closure (10 minutes):
1. **Show and Tell:**
- Allow students to share their drawings with the class and explain what they drew.
2. **Timeline Creation:**
- Together, create a simple timeline using the timeline template. Include at least three events/objects from the past and three from the present.
3. **Reflection:**
- Ask students to reflect on what they learned about the past and present.
- Prompt: “Can you tell me one thing you learned about how our lives are different from how they were long ago?”
### Assessment:
- **Formative:**
- Observe student participation during discussions and activities.
- Collect and review the drawing activities for understanding of past and present concepts.
### Teacher Reflection:
- After the lesson, reflect on what worked well and what could be improved.
- Note students who may need further support or advanced enrichment.
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### Extra Activities:
- **Extension:**
- Prepare a show-and-tell with an old artifact and a modern counterpart.
- Create a “Then and Now” classroom book, where each student contributes a page.
### Notes:
- Be sensitive to students who might be less familiar with the concept of time, and provide one-on-one support if needed.
- Ensure all students are given an opportunity to share and participate equally.